Animal News

Illegal tiger exhibit at Cowtown Fair in Fort Worth gets shut down

The illegal exhibit involved white tigers, like these.

Courtesy photo

An exhibit at Texas Motor Speedway got shut down because it was illegal. The Cowtown Fair, a grubby circus with carnival rides, petting zoos, and other animal displays, had among its attractions an illegal tiger exhibit that was sent packing after a tip from PETA.

According to a release, the tigers were from an unlicensed animal exhibitor named Lisa Lopez, who operates under the name All Things Wild and who planned to charge fairgoers to take photos with the creatures.

Lopez's plans to display the cats and sell photo opportunities would have violated local laws prohibiting the possession of tigers and other wild or exotic animals.

"Because authorities took swift action, these tigers will not be forced to sit in a metal cage and pose for photos with fairgoers," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Rachel Mathews in a statement. "PETA commends the city for sending the message that all unscrupulous exhibitors will be held accountable if they try breaking the law."

Lopez has a long history of skirting law enforcement, with multiple infractions including an incident in 2021 at a flea market in Liberty, Texas, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cited her and ordered her to stop illegally exhibiting the big cats.

The tigers are confined to small travel trailers and hauled all over the country.

Lopez's routine is to palm off another exhibitor's license as her own to the event organizer, which she reportedly tried again at the Cowtown Fair.

Her business partner, Marcus Cook, keeps the tigers on his property in Kaufman. His license to exhibit tigers was revoked in 2012 after he was charged with nearly 100 federal Animal Welfare Act violations for actions that include using an electric prod on a tiger and for handling methods that allowed a tiger cub to bite a member of the public.

In 2017, the USDA denied Lopez a license to exhibit animals because of her connections to Cook, but the two have continued to exhibit tigers unlawfully as All Things Wild, using the license of yet another exhibitor, Michael Todd. Todd's federal license was also terminated in 2020 because he partnered with Cook.

PETA has urged the USDA to pursue criminal charges given Cook's and Lopez's "open disregard for the law" and multiple civil orders not to violate it.

On its Facebook page, the Cowtown Fair was touting the birth of a goat while the fair was ongoing — surely a stressful situation for the animals involved. Events exploiting animals are always a blight.

The fair is a 10-day event that's been held at the speedway for two years.

Texas Motor Speedway spokesperson David Hart said they were "very surprised" to learn that the fair's lineup included tigers.

"We were completely unaware that there were going to be tigers on our property as part of that program," Hart said.

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FWPD News

Fort Worth's longtime police chief Neil Noakes will retire in 2025

FWPD

FWPD chief Neil Noakes

After more than 25 years of dedicated service to the City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Police Department, Police Chief Neil Noakes will retire from law enforcement, effective May 2025.

Chief Noakes has been with the FW Police Department since 2000 and was appointed Chief of Police in 2021 by City Manager David Cooke.

In a statement, Noakes says that he's retiring to focus on his family.

"My emotions are mixed because I have been with the FWPD for half my life and have truly enjoyed my career," Noakes says. "Being part of our FWPD family has been an incredible honor and a privilege. I work with amazing people who strive to make a positive difference every day. I have also enjoyed working with an incredibly supportive Mayor, Council, and City Manager’s Office."

"My decision comes down to family," he says. "I have a supportive and loving wife and children who have sacrificed so much and supported me and the Fort Worth Police Department. I became a grandfather in July, and I have a second grandchild on the way. It’s time for me to focus on my family."

Chief Noakes has held various ranks and served in multiple areas of the department, including Patrol, DWI, Motors, and Internal Affairs.

Before being named Chief of Police, Noakes served as Deputy Chief, overseeing the South Command. He earned his bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Tarleton State University and his master's degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Texas Christian University (TCU). Additionally, he is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute’s 137th Administrative Officers Course and TCU’s inaugural Leadership, Executive, and Administrative Development Program (L.E.A.D. #1).

His accomplishments include establishing a new Wellness Unit and his involvement in youth engagement programs such as Operation Progress, Read2Win, All Pro Dad, and the City of Fort Worth’s Education Initiative.

In a statement Fort Worth City Manager David Cooke praises Chief Noakes for his focus on community problem-solving and reducing crime, even despite Fort Worth’s population growth over the last decade.

“You’ve got to love the job to be good at being a police chief and he’s an extraordinary police chief," Cooke says. "If you hear him talk about the officers and the staff that work at the police department you get this beautiful understanding of what it’s like to be a police family. He leads the police department with that type of ethic and family feeling."

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker says she has "nothing but respect" for Noakes' decision to retire and put family first.

"I’m so grateful to Neil, his wife, and his family for the more than 25 years of service, sacrifice, and leadership that he has provided to Fort Worth, Parker says. "He has led the Fort Worth Police Department through some of the most difficult times our city has faced with humility, transparency, and compassion for the community as his top priority. He is truly leaving this department better than he found it."

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